A Traveller5 blog devoted to an Alternate Traveller Universe, the Permatic Imperium. It started life as tool for playtesting the Traveller5 Core Rules, brainstorming, designing, and to examine and find the exploits, which is why it is an ATU, not Marc Miller's Traveller Universe. Many hours not shown in the post count are reflected in my credits in the T5 Core Rule Book. So, come explore the Permatic Imperium with us.

Institute | Node 1 | Public Proceedings 200

21 March 2014

As the wether becomes more habitable (by my admittedly personal tastes) things on other fronts are going not so well. First of course is that it appears that my main computer is having a major crash and that needless to say has put a crimp (not CrImp :p) in my productivity. Good thing is I ran a backup so at least I have most of my data still, bad thing is the backup app can't seem to see the target drive. Crapsticks! Still my tech guy is going to see if he can do some scuzzy voodoo to it and bring it back. Here's hoping...

On the other hand, not sure if I have mentioned it yet or not but another Daarnulud Design Bureaux starship is in the works. This one is the 600 ton, IM/V Sceaming Penny with the illustrious Mister Ian Stead (https://www.facebook.com/ian.stead.52) doing the plans and artwork (because frankly I am just not that good for this day and age, 1980s, I am looking good, 201Xs, not so much). As usual with these "I got a new project" posts this one comes with some pictures from the development stage. This is the first draft of the plans which are stellar, but then I went and suffer an attack (for which I am sorry about having now) and of course had to make requests for changes only after it had sat and cooked for a time. Yep, turns out I too am that asshole client. Ouch. Gonna have to make good on that. Anyway check it out:

I super-digging the oval bridge! On the other hand I had my quibbles later when this came in after:

Then I started making annoying changes. If you follow the passageway from the Bridge you will see a small space on the port side, that is the Ship's Locker. So? Well, if you look you will see the door is accessible from outside the Bridge passageway. Not cool in my Naval Archtecture handbook. Ship's Lockers usually contain the vessel's small arms and petty cash. Not something that shoud be accessed easily. He was pretty cool about that one, not so sure the request about the cargo hold was as well recieved. I won't say what, one must keep a few secrets, but it it will involve some work on the Draftsman's part, not so much the Naval Architect. :)

Anyway, just trying to get back to posting more often...again. We'll see how it goes. Meanwhile enjoy and hope you are having a good day. (Because I am a dick like that, but really if you have indeed had 87 nice days in a row..."Have shitty day!". Look it up kids, George Carlin was fucking awesome! Also, a smidge subversive. :D) Crap, got the details wrong but the message right. Oh, and for the lazy, because I have to share the love, here check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X0MDBqyYZQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

14 March 2014

So, I am off line with an HD crash of some sort and stuck on the old mobile device (and when I use the adjective "old" I am not kidding, man is my TL behind the times, but then wealthy I am not).

Still, there are some benefits to having to work with your secondary tech and find out you can do some cool stuff. In this case while I was working on the Banner of the Imperium (seen below) I spent a bit of time doing layer transformations.

The Banner of the Permatic Imperium.

So, while I kept hitting the "Text" and "Transform" drop down choices, I didn't really think about or even notice the one labeled "Time Lapse". Then, it slowly came to me that it let me do animations. Yeah, I know, but mostly I haven't seen to much from the app on neat-o tricks or even much past "here's how to chose brushes" and that is lean too. This means that a lot of what you see here is me learning to mess with and exploit the app.

To test this time lapse function I for some reason decided to do a Class E Starport. As you may or not know (some folks are intimidated by the sheer mass of data within the Imperial Standards, but be not daunted and you'll find neat stuff) a Class E Starport is about as basic as you can get and still be rated as a Starport. It has no repair abilities, no fuel refined or otherwise and no bases to beg help from if the dreaded Corsair of District 262, the Loin Rampant comes looking for your goods and CrImps. It does have a Beacon though, isn't that nice, so at least you know where you are...or where the port is.

Pretty much exactly what has always been described as, a flat spot of permacrete and a beacon. Lights are a bonus and may represent the presence of an Imperial representative or Peer looking to improve their holding. Look for Customs warehouses and unrefined fuel to show up in the next Term or so, also a new thing at that port, berthing fees. >:)

To begin I threw together the background and slapped a slab on top of that and placed the four Beacon Pylons, which for some obscure and arcane reason are commonly referred to by spacers of all varieties as "barber poles". No one really knows why other than "ancient Terran descended traditions". The posts are externally lit in a flashing spiral red and white alternating pattern, they stand 3 meters tall and are 30 cm or so in diameter. The interior contains positioning software ISPA telemetry repeaters and loggers, commo gear with surface, orbital and deep space capabilities, a local meteorological instruments and transceivers connected to the local network if any, an avionics package for remote vessel operations, sensor package capable of orbital range (this range can be extended if connected to other sensor grids), and each pylon is powered by a Fusion+ unit rated for 10 standard years. These pylons and the landing pad are ruggedized and can withstand exposure to hostile environments without failure for 2 standard years from initial emplacement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDVl4eKzHSo&sns=em

This is also the very first YouTube video I have made or uploaded. Oh look, email from YouTube massaging my ego. Like I need that. I just got my name officially on the cover of Greg P. Lee's T5 Cirque Campaign book! Yes, it is official I got my name on the cover of a gaming book. That this book like the first is a Traveller book is just icing on some extremely long awaited and very, very delicious cake!

And I know I said I would do a serious currency post and some day I will, but till then one last pretty picture and that is the latest version of the Imperial Mint's E-Currency Card, this time in the CrImp 50 denomination. Enjoy and I will catch you on the flipside.

01 March 2014

Not much to report, rumor control is Marc is dealing with some personal stuff so things are sort of on hold here. Still we work ever more.

Good news HMS Herald is damned close to getting out the door, I am working on the IM/V Lion Rampant 2 and Mark Lucas said he is going to get me the ISS Sable deckplans soon. Once I get those I have my first three books, and since Mark is feeling a bit guilty about the tardiness of the Sable plans he said he will do some interior art. Which is awesome since we just don't have enough interior shots of starships in Traveller.

In other ACS (Adventure Class Starships) I managed to snag another illustrious Traveller artist and the M/V Screaming Penny deckplans and art will be done by none other than the big ole Foss fanatic Mister Ian Stead. He promised to keep the Fossing to a minimum, mostly since I am actually paying him. That is right folks, I commisioned some of my very first paid art. Coming up in the world, I am. :D

Speaking of, Ian, he also is doing up a dude in TL-H BattleDress and probably a chunk of the gear illustrations. So I am going to have some pro style artwork soon, but till then I am still keeping my hand in with drawing up little bits of the setting of the Permatic Imperium. Also, I have this fascination with the Imperial Currency so, check out the cash card of my distant future.

It needs cropping, but I am stranded with only a crappy sketch app so cropping or resizing the image is out of the question. On the other hand it does let me do some neat stuff with layers and patterns as you can see. Later I will do a series of illustrations and a detailed post, however today it is just a picture and a few words.

Office of the Director (SPB/IEOD)

Patron. Director of the Thornwood-Daarnulud Institute Special Projects Branch. Senior Member of the Imperial Admiralty. Agent of the Iridium Crown and Throne. Inspector with the Imperial Efficiency Optimization Directorate. Visiting Professor at several Schools and well educated on a variety of subjects. Elevated by the Personal Direct Issue of Patent to the Imperial Noble Rank and Title of Sir Craig A. Glesner, The Marquis Malory by His Imperial Majesty with all Rights and Duties that come with his new Station in Court. A collector. Noted Author. Archivist and Researcher.